PROJECT RESULTS

For the purposes of achieving project objectives, Training became an essential component of the project activities. A total of 5 major practical trainings and community level sensitization were conducted under the period of review. These are training farmers in modern livestock management skills, Sensitize 500 farmers to avoid chemical pesticides uses and adapt organic farming, Train 120 farmers on composting, Sensitize 500 community members on climate change and the need to take up the fight against climate change, Train 60 farmers in nursery activities and establish one permanent nursery. Each days training was divided into two components, ie theory and in some cases practicals.

• Train 120 farmers in modern livestock management skills in 2 communities
In order to keep and multiply their livestock, a 6 days livestock management training were given to beneficiaries in 2 communities. These are Kelampoble and Gbenfu communities. A total of 120 individuals made up of 55 women and 65 men trained in livestock management skills and activities. The farmers were given training in livestock management skills and support them to enable them manage their livestock. The activity took place on February, 2018. Picture: showing farmers being trained in Gbenfu community in livestock management during livestock management training

The training came in the form of A 6-day training using resource persons from MOFA as the main facilitators and a local NGO personnel. Each days training was divided into two components, ie theory and in some cases practicals. Resources persons were contracted to facilitate each training session. Participatory approach was adopted where farmers were given the opportunity to interact, share experience and ask questions for better explanation. Farmers were trained in groups and sometimes on individual bases with teaching aids such as posters, wooden gages and other equipment improvised. Knowledge and skills of livestock management is very essential to enable farmers take care of their livestock. Topics such as climate change and its adverse impact on livestock industry development in our rural communities were treated with the beneficiary farmers.

Farmers were taken through themes such as importance of keeping livestock, livestock housing and requirements, livestock feeding, sanitation issues, livestock breeding, livestock disease, and process of medication, signs of good health in animals as well as ill-health livestock and the process of detecting such animal.

These was then followed by distribution of female livestock mainly female goats to beneficiaries for keeps, as alternative livelihoods, reduce over dependence on the natural resource, and also generate animal droppings to support their organic farming. A total of 100 female goats and 12 improved male goats were procured and supplied to 100 farmers as climate change adaptation strategy in 2 communities.picture: farmers receiving their animals and training at the training center

• Sensitize 500 farmers to avoid chemical pesticides uses and adapt organic farming in 2 communities

Chemical uses both pesticides and weedicides have become very rampant among the project communities leading to bio diversity destruction, food poisoning and farmer health implication. Therefore to overcome this, farmers in the 2 communities were sensitized and educated to avoid the use of chemical pesticides and weedicides use and adopt organic farming measures. Farmers were taken through dangers of using chemical pesticides, the types and banned substances. This was immediately followed by a community-wide initial Organic Agricultural education and Sensitization forum. The organic agriculture sensitization forums took place in 2 communities in the month of February 2018. The purpose of this activity was to brief and sensitize the entire community members on the relevance of adopting organic agriculture principles instead of relying on chemical pesticides, weedicides and fertilizers for food production. A total of 450 farmers were covered. Out of this, 245 were male and 205 female. The 2 participating communities are Gbenfu and Kelampoble. The sensitization workshop were organized for all community members including, farmers, women, children, traders, fishermen and women, chiefs, elders and opinion leaders. The workshops were held in a participatory manner.

Two resources persons were contracted, one from MOFA and the other one from Civil Society Organization to facilitate the organic farming sensitization. Participants were taken through topics such as benefits of organic agricultural education in relation to food security, farmers health, income, farmers cost of production, and above all environmental sustainability. In addition, participants were made to understand the contribution of organic agricultural to climate change adaptation. Others include principles of organic farming and that of climate smart agricultural etc. in the end, a number of farmers voluntarily step forward to be registered as organic farmers and demanded that they receive training in order to kick start production using organic or climate smart agricultural principles. See the photograph above showing community members participating in one of the meetings in the Gbenfu community during organic or climate smart agricultural Education.

• Train 120 farmers on composting in 2 communities
The activities took place on the month of March, 2018. The picture below shows participants engaging with facilitator during practical demonstration in compost building in Gbenfu community. A total of 120 farmers registered and took part in both training and practicals. Two types of compost building and application were taught to farmers in the two communities. Out of this 55 were women and 65 were men.

They received knowledge and skills in compost preparation, the materials combination to give one a rich compost, processing of preparing and how to position temperature thick. Currently 15 compost pit are built by 15 enterprising farmers in the two communities according our assessment.

• Sensitize 500 community members on climate change and the need to take up the fight against climate change in 2 communities
Climate change education was taken in 2 communities in the form of community sensitization. The sensitization came in the form of workshops in an open forums. The climate change education introduced and sensitized the 2 communities to understand current climate change debate and the need to take up action against climate change impacts in our communities. The activity took place in the month of April 2018. A total of 404 community members took part. Out of this, 204 were male and 200 female. The sensitization workshop were organized for all community members including, farmers, women, children, traders, fishermen and women, chiefs, elders and opinion leaders. The workshops were held in a participatory manner. Two resources persons were contracted, one from Forestry Commission and the other one from Civil Society Organition to facilitate the climate change sensitization. The program was divided into two parts. The first part was made up of presentations on Ghana climate change Policy, what is it, objectives, linkages with climate change mitigation and adaptation, the role of communities. The second sessions were devoted to Discussions and issues arising from the presentations.

• Train 60 farmers in nursery activities and establish one permanent nursery
As part of the project implementation, 60 Community Members made up of 20 women and 40 men were trained on tree nursery establishment and Management. The training took place on the month of May 2018 in Gbenfu community.

The purpose of the training was to give community members the needed skills and knowledge to enable them establish, operate and manage tree nursery in order to promote agroforestry model in their respective communities. The training was facilitated and conducted by resource person from the Forestry Service Division(FSD). They were adequately taking through topics such as: importance of tree nursery in the form of economic importance of seedlings, trees, aesthetic values of trees or environmental values of tree planting. Other topics include the process of nursery establishment, management process and benefit sharing among group members and also to the larger community.

The training was conducted along the practical where farmers were supported to establish one permanent nursery with a total capacity of 15,000 seedlings per year in Gbenfu community. Currently seedlings raised include cassia, moringa and cashew. This is expected to provide fruits, woodlots, and serve as wind bricks against the effects of climate change in the 2 communities when planted. The pictures above shows beneficiaries filling poly pots during nursery establishment in Gbamful communities

2. Challenges
• Distribution of livestock to individual farmers presented a huge challenge.With the higher turnout but with limited number of starter packs livestock). It was extremely difficult to distribute since more farmers in the villages came out and were expecting to return home with start-ups but obviously not everyone was going to get

3. Conclusion
he project has enhanced sustainable forest and agroforest landscape management for biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management in Sakpa and Bekweikura in the Bole District. The project successes include:
• 125 ha of savannah forest under natural regeneration
• 20ha of degraded landscape restored and maintained as woodlots with cassia species and teak.
• 20ha of agricultural land plotted with crops such as maize and cowpeas and inter-planted with cashew seedlings by 40 farmers
• 40 charcoal producers(80% women) adopted efficient charcoal production skills using2 metal kilns and improved homemade cook stoves
• 40 women involved in shea butter processing
• 30 women involved in beekeeping
Over 500 community people in 2 communities and about 10,000 radio listeners in 2 districts and beyond reached with messages and made aware of the Black Volta landscape degradation and rehabilitation options available to them through radio programmes.